Tougou Mimori is a Hero
by Luminous Sandvikovich Pizza
Summary: The fate of destruction could not be avoided. Desperate for salvation, Mimori Tougou screamed out to the world...and the world answered. Now an agent of the Counter Force, Tougou finally has the opportunity to set things right. However, she soon realizes that selling her soul for power has far-reaching consequences that will force her to choose what she will save.


I do not own Yuyuyu and Fate stuffs

* * *

In a world where gods existed, there were two types.

The Earth gods, who had protected humanity.

And the Heavenly gods, who wished for nothing but their extinction

The Earth gods had come together to form the Shinju, a tree shaped barrier that protects what's left of humanity. It provided what it could to the people who lived with it, knowing that they could not properly survive on their own in such a small region.

In a seemingly endless war, the Heavenly gods had reduced the world to an island in Japan; Shikoku. The rest of the world was covered in their rage and hatred of humanity as nothing but blistering hot flames that consume all. They used creatures known as Vertex to destroy the Shinju and drove humanity to near extinction.

The Shinju, the collection of all the Earth gods, had created a system to use against the Heavenly gods and protect what was left of this world.

The Hero System.

A curse in the form of a supposed blessing. It selects girls that have high aptitude with their godly power to become humanity's protectors against the Vertex. It had evened the odds against the pivotal species that were sent down by the Heavenly gods as they fought back courageously.

However, little did they know that this was a form of sacrifice.

The heroes would slowly lose all of their bodily functions. While it made little difference battling Vertex and granting limited immortality, it made their daily lives a complete challenge.

However, once discovered, one of the chosen girls found out the truth behind it and the state the world was in. She learned that the organization that carried out the Shinju's will, the Taisha, had taken advantage of her and her friends, and that she and an old friend's past fate would eventually reach them.

She had concluded that they would forever fight to protect humanity in an endless cycle of suffering, and lose all of their bodily functions.

In her state of turmoil, she broke a part of the barrier to invite in the Vertex.

After a long and grueling battle in which one of the heroes had lost most of her bodily functions to destroy thousands of Vertex, she had realized her mistake thanks to a friend she was close to and was also a hero.

That battle however, turned for the worst as one of the Vertex prepared an attack that would require all of the heroes' effort to stop.

Would they come out of this without sacrificing themselves once more?

o.o.o.

"I started something awful…" Tougou said, looking at the immense fireball that felt like they were standing next to the sun. It was heading towards the Shinju.

"It's not your fault Tougou-san," Yuuna reassured, "We're gonna stop it!"

...what's the point? Tougou asked herself.

She was looking at the huge fireball coming their way, incomprehensibly large in comparison to the five of them.

She felt powerless against it. She didn't know for sure that they could stop it, and if they tried, wouldn't they just fail?

But if Yuuna said they could, then maybe she should try.

The two pursued the fireball as they tried to get around it. Yuuna was the first to fly in, followed by Tougou. Using their spirit barriers, they attempted to push back the fireball.

They tried. They really did.

Yuuna's mankai however, couldn't take it. It dispersed in a burst of petals as she fell back to the jukai.

Had Tougou believed in Yuuna, she would've kept trying, she would've kept going.  
But the words Sonoko had said to her came to her mind as she tried to push back.

'No matter what choice you'll make, I'll support your decision.'

She had the support of one of her dearest friends, even if it meant ending this wretched world for its cruelty. She guessed this might've meant that Sonoko would rather have the world end rather than continuing in her state. Her indifference wouldn't say as much but the ever-underlying grudge they held for the Taisha was obvious to Tougou.

When she had asked her to stay a bit longer, she happily obliged. Sonoko began talking about the two years Tougou had forgotten. She talked about when they first met, the friction, the training, the grueling battles they had when they were heroes, and all the fun they had when they used to be together. Albeit brief, she talked about how living here wasn't something she liked, but had stopped there.

It was then she talked about Gin. She talked about how reckless she was, and how much of a troublemaker she had been rather fondly. She expressed how happy she was that Gin had always wanted to help others in need. Tougou didn't know why she had almost been moved to tears by that. She didn't have any memories after all. But she had this vague feeling of longing as Sonoko talked about their lost friend.

"Gin was a good friend to us. No matter how much we argued or how much trouble she would get into, she always kept smiling." Sonoko said rather forcibly, as talking about her had felt like it was bringing up more and more repressed emotions, emotions she didn't let out for these two years. Tears welled up in eyes but she couldn't wipe them away, so the bandage near her eye soaked them up instead.

Tougou, still holding her hand as she listened, opted to lean forward and give the bedridden girl a hug. Because she was still crippled and Sonoko wasn't in any better shape, she had instead just wrapped her arms as far as she could around Sonoko's waist. Despite how awkward it felt and how it would look to others, it more than enough for them. Sonoko didn't deserve to be like this, and neither did she.

"Ehehe~, still not good at expressing how you feel, do you Wasshi?" Sonoko couldn't help but giggle as she watched Tougou give her the awkward hug from her wheelchair.

"Hmph. At least I'm trying." Tougou pouted.

"Well, that's good enough for me." She smiled down at her, "I feel really happy you did this for me, visiting me and all…"

Tougou returned the smile as she looked up at Sonoko. Just why did Sonoko have to live like this?

The Taisha were just selfish, and they didn't know what it was like to feel loss. They took away everything from Sonoko, took advantage of her own amnesia, and sent her and her friends out to their inevitable fates. All for what? The sake of humanity? They shouldn't send children to do that.

And if that wasn't enough…

Sonoko didn't live here, nor was she staying here. But rather, she was enshrined. She was held here against her will despite the Taisha's words saying otherwise. They were respecting her wishes as best as they could, supposedly. They would give her the most delicious meals, the most expensive technology, the most extravagant parties, but they wouldn't allow her to live a normal life nor let her even see Tougou. They worshipped her as if that's what she wanted, as if it was convenient for her.

It was only convenient for them.

"I think you should go…before the priests arrive to check on me…" Sonoko said, "Remember what I said Wasshi, I'll support you no matter your decision."

"Sonochii…?" Tougou wasn't sure, but now that she thought about it, why was she this indifferent about it? She didn't exactly want to live like this.

Sonoko dropped the smile, "I know what you're thinking. You're worried that if you don't do anything, I'll still be like this." She then gave a reassuring smile this time, "It's fine though, I've managed this for the past two years. I don't care if I have to endure it even more. It's just…"

She paused for a moment.

"Just be sure to visit me when you can, Wasshi." Sonoko looked at her with a sad eye, "I get lonely a lot."

Tougou nods her head, "Mm. I'll be sure to."

"Thanks so much~" Sonoko instantly looked happy at that.

Not wanting to dwell for much longer, especially after Sonoko's warning, Tougou said her goodbyes and wheeled her chair out of the hospital.

That was the one conversation they had after she had figured out the truth. It was small talk, and had helped reconciling, but it had affected Tougou in more ways than one. If that's how she and her friends were going to live, then there's no point in protecting this world anymore.

However, she was pulled in another direction by another, yet similarly dear friend. It was to keep fighting and fighting, to never give up, and she promised they wouldn't forget her no matter what happens.

Yuuna was also precious to her.

She was her first and closest friend ever since she had lost her memories. Always pushing forward. Always seeing the brighter side of things. Always trying and never giving up. Never had she once fallen into despair unlike herself, who had done so many times up until this point. They were each other's pillars of support. They always looked out for each other, and Yuuna herself had been particularly protective of her.

She didn't want to see her in pain like this. She didn't want her to suffer. She went as far as to promise she wouldn't forget her, no matter what happens. It wasn't her fault that she started this, she said.

Tougou was conflicted as to what to believe anymore. Even if Sonoko's indifference meant that she was free to choose, she didn't want to see her continue living the way she does. She didn't want any one of her friends to live like that.

But is sacrificing the minority to save the majority worth the price?

It probably wasn't, but who's to say that being forced into fighting like this was any better?

"YUUNA-CHAN!" She flew back down and jumped off her airship, going to where Yuuna was. She ignored the very obvious fireball as it continued its course towards the Shinju.

"T-tougou-san...you have...to stop it…" Yuuna breathed out. She couldn't let up now. She had to go mankai again, she had t-

"No!" Tougou shouted, tears forming in her eyes, "I'm not leaving you like this…"

"But you have to...before it reaches-..." She stops momentarily as her eyes suddenly widened.

Tougou notices the reaction, "W-what's wrong?"

Yuuna tried her best to raise her head, looking down at her body, "My...legs...aren't working…"

"No…" Tougou's vision began to blur as more tears began to form, "No…! No more of this!"

If the hero system was targeting her legs…just like it did with her…

What would happen if she went Mankai one more time…?

…No…!

"Tougou…san…" Yuuna breathed out, trying to get up with a pained expression, "We have to…stop it…!"

They heard shouting, and both looked back and saw Fuu and Itsuki in their Mankai forms. They were attempting to push back the fireball which had slowed down, if only a little.

"C'mon Yuuna! Tougou! We can't push it back with just the two of us!" Fuu yelled out to them.

"HaaaaaaaaAAAAAHHHH!" Another shout was heard. Karin had joined the fray; various ribbons were wrapped around her as they were supplementing the lost limbs that were targeted in the last battle.

"Never underestimate the Hero Club!" And with that, Karin entered Mankai, helping push back the massive ball of flame.

"Stop…no…" Tougou didn't want to see this. She didn't want them losing more of themselves just trying to stop it, "Why are you guys…going so far…?"

"C'mon, Tougou-san," Yuuna had taken out her phone and transformed once again. Very familiar ribbons that appeared around her head held her up, "We have to finish this!"

"But Yuuna-chan, if you go Mankai one more time...if you end up losing another part of yourself…!"

Then maybe you'll forget me, just like I did.

"I don't want you to lose yourself for humanity! Please, we don't have to do this!" Tougou's pained expression could only convey so much to her friend.

Yuuna looked at her with mild shock. To hear this from her after everything, after she tried to convince and promise her that she would never give up and never forget her. Her expression then changed into a more serious one. She simply moved forward with her ribbons and passed Tougou slowly.

"I'm sorry…" Yuuna said in a quiet voice. A tear hits the ground, and she leaped towards where the others were. Light gathered around her as she enters Mankai one more time.

"Yuuna-chan!" Tougou cried out. Watching her leave like that had broke the camel's back. Tougou fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.. She couldn't take it anymore, she couldn't bear to see this.

She had reached the lowest point of despair. She didn't want to do this anymore.

It was her fault.

Yuuna's words failed to reach her.

"Yuuna!" Fuu says, seeing her join the pushback the fireball with them. Her faced dawned realization as there was one member absent, "Where's…Tougou…?"

"…" Yuuna didn't say anything, she didn't look at Fuu or the others.

Fuu gave a mildly shocked expression, before going back to focusing on the task at hand, "I'm sorry, Yuuna…"

"Grrrr! This isn't slowing down!" Karin gripped, "At this rate we'll...!"

"Don't say that!" Fuu snapped, "We can do it! Hero club second and fifth tenets: Try not to give up! You'll likely succeed if you try!"

"Heh, alright then! We'll push ourselves to the very limits to stop this thing!" Karin said, and pushed back with renewed vigor.

However, despite their best efforts, the four couldn't push it back. The fireball kept going and going as it got closer to the Shinju.

In fact, it was pretty much next to it.

"Guhhh..!" Karin grunted, as she tried to push the fireball back, "We have to…stop this...c'mon...!" "

Fuu gritted her teeth,"Push…! Push…!"

Yuuna and Itsuki couldn't help but show signs of frustration either, but the former in particular was contorted with confliction.

Had she failed to save Tougou? Was there no way to convince her? Did she have any other options left?

Her thoughts were interrupted, as all their Mankais gave out and they reverted to their normal hero forms. They all fell down to the ground of Jukai. The spirits used their barriers to cushion their fall but they could only stop so much pain. Itsuki had passed out after crashing and Karin stopped moving when she crashed. Yuuna had stopped moving as well but had tried to look up at where the fireball was.

"Wait…no!" Fuu realized in that split second that they could no longer push it back.

The Shinju was going to die.

The barrier that surrounded the Shinju repulsed as the large fireball slammed against it. For a few seconds, the barrier flickered. The four thought the Shinju had stopped it, that they had succeeded in slowing it down enough for the Shinju to push it back.

And then the barrier shattered like glass.

And the fireball hit home.

The Shinju tree took the explosion head on that came after the impact, and the loud boom had all but drowned out the screams that came from the remaining heroes as they were swallowed up.

Tougou, who had lost her hero form the moment it crashed into the Shinju, was far away from the scene. Her face contorted as a slew of emotions rose up from the scene that unfolded before her.

Pain. Despair. Agony. Sadness. Anxiety. Fear. Guilt.

All those had hit her with full force.

Yet, all she did was stand in place and watch.

As the Shinju went up in flames, the very air pulsed with a tinge of red. It was then, starting from the Shinju tree, flames began to spread all over the Jukai.

The ground began to rumble. Petals, some on fire and some not, began to rise up from the large roots that made up the world. The Jukai was being undone. The damage done to the Shinju was too much, it couldn't keep up the Jukai anymore.

The petals swallowed up the world as it transitioned back to Shikoku again.

And what greeted Tougou was a city in flames.

What she saw was hell. An apocalyptic and unbearable hell. All she could see for miles was flames. Smoke clouded the sky as it blotted out the evening sun, and had she not known beforehand, she would've mistaken it to be nighttime. But it more than just seeing a blackened out sky, the sky itself was flickering as it constantly flashed back and forth between evening and a sea of flames. The illusion the barrier kept up prevents the true state of the world from being shown. It was slowly being undone.

The collective sound of the people shouts and screams came right after once they realized everything was on fire.. The screams that were heard throughout Shikoku sounded more like wails, like if she was hearing the souls themselves cry out in pain. Buildings were slowly falling apart. Cars and gas stations exploded as the fires spread into the containers of gasoline. People ran around in panic as the fires began to consume them, parts of their skin burning and melting off with a distinct stench of iron filling the air.

And yet, all Tougou could do was just watch the chaos. The flames, the screams, the smell- oh the smell of smoke and death that violated her nostrils- the immense and uncomfortable heat making it hard to breathe, and all this despair and agony. She fell down on the steps by the portable shrine she appeared next to, unable to take in all this terrible and unbearable pain she felt all over.

This was all her doing.

She caused this.

It was hard to believe such a sight could exist. Words could not describe the hellish scene that was caused by her.

"I…"

The Shinju was as good as dead now, losing its life in the flames.

"I…"

Humanity had finally reached their endpoint, no longer able to survive with its sole protector fighting a losing battle to sustain itself and barrier.

"I'm…sorry…"

Her friends had been first to perish, losing their lives trying to save the last of humanity.

"I didn't…want this…"

Her indecision, her hesitance.

"I just wanted…to save my friends…"

Her stubborn refusal to listen to her dearest dead friend.

"I wanted a world...where my friends weren't sacrificed to live…" She looked out to the hellish flaming city.

She had personally brought the downfall of humanity.

"If it was me...if it was only me…!" She closed her eyes as her body trembled, tears hitting the ground once more.

"I would've been fine with it…!" She let out the last of her regrets into nothing but a sharp whisper.

No response was given. The roar of the flames and people dying were the only thing that occupied the silence.

Tougou just curled on up the ground, her body occasionally trembling but she couldn't care less about what went on around her. She just wanted this to stop. This isn't what she wanted, to live in a world like this. And now, she was paying the price.

But...

Perhaps there was some comfort to this situation.

Her friends were the first to go, they didn't have to witness reality practically breaking apart around her. They wouldn't have to witness nor experience this slow and agonizing death that's taking place.

Yes, perhaps there was comfort to this. Such twisted reasoning was why she tried to end the world afterall.

Tougou continued to lie on the ground. She ignored the flames, the screams, the flickering illusion as it switch back a forth from the sky to a sea of flames, much like tv changing between two channels. It was only a matter of time now till the Shinju perishes, and everything with it.

A few moments had passed, before a flicker of light sparked a few feet in front of her, bursting outwards as light and air swirled into one point and gathered.

She slowly looked into the light in response. Her eyes, red of irritation yet void of any emotion, widened at this new development before her.

Floating in front of her, there was a blue sphere with two rings swirling around it. Its presence seemed to dim out everything else as it just floated there. The more she stared at it, the more it seemed to drown out the fires and screams as it continued to hover in place, emitting a low humming sound.

The rings simply moved about as they constantly changed their positions ever so slowly while the air seemed to warp from forming themselves. The sphere itself seemed to occasionally ripple with small wisps of flames, seemingly not at all bothered by its surroundings. The sheer presence of it felt ethereal, its existence seemed to stand out and seemingly blur the rest of its surroundings. It felt like the sphere and herself were the only things left in existence amongst the chaos. What...was this thing?

"What…?" Tougou stared at it for a few more moments. She wasn't sure what she was looking at. She has never seen something like this. Was it a Vertex? Was it one of the gods? What was is it?

It was then that numerous thin, thread-like tendrils of light extended from the sphere. They weaved through the air silently, making their way towards the stunned hero.

Normally she would've tried to get back from it, thinking it was potentially hostile. However, she no longer had her hero form. And after everything that's happened, she had stopped caring.

It wouldn't matter if she died a different way that was the inevitable fate she had made this world come to. Instead, she was curious as to what it was about to do as the tendrils came closer.

It began to surround her for a few moments before touching the exposed parts of her skin, like her arms, neck, and face. It felt tingly for a few moments, and Tougou stood still wondering what it was trying to do.

And then her mind became overloaded with information. She visibly winced at the sudden intake before looking at the sphere before her. She now understood what it was and what it was trying to do.

However, once more, she hesitated.

She was presented the chance to go back.

She was offered the chance to change things.

She was being given a choice to fight as humanity's vassal and change its original course of fate. To change it to a more favorable outcome than a bleak one.

In other words, she was given another chance to save everyone.

But on the other hand, she felt like humanity deserved to die.

Half of her felt they deserved this fate, even when she saw her own friends die horribly in front of her.

The Taisha had played with and used their lives like a piece on a chessboard. This was all a game to them, their lives didn't matter as long as they got results and thought that giving them luxuries was enough to make up for it.

She just wished her friends could've all just disappeared painlessly while the rest could suffer and die like they are now.

It was then she noticed such a contradiction in her own mindset.

It was the Taisha and Shinju that was she angry at. Everyone else was just as innocent as her in this.

Well, in this instance, she no longer is. At least she wasn't one of those damn Taisha priests.

In the end, though, she had caused all this. Perhaps this was a way to make up for all of it.

Maybe then she could save her friends forreal this time, and maybe they won't follow a life of suffering like they had originally did.

She had to try, if nothing else. It's not like she had any other choice presented.

"I see..." Tougou started, "If I can go back to stop the Vertex …if I can go back to fix everything…if it's only me doing this…" Her despair had halted, her agony was quelled, and her pain was relieved.

Hope within her rekindled, perhaps this might be the right choice.

Her expression turned more serious, "Then I shall take your offer…Alaya."

Alaya, the blue sphere, pulsed at the answer. The tendrils that were touching her began to wrap around her as it formed what looks like a cocoon of light. A comforting warmth filled her body as she was relieved from the smoke and stench of the world outside. She felt her muscles rejuvenate, and her fatigue washed away. It lifted her into the air as the cocoon began to rapidly rotate. The sound of whirling was getting louder and louder.

And then the cocoon flickered out. Tougou was no longer a part of this world.

And shortly after, the Shinju perished. The world of flames swallowed up the last of humanity.

o.o.o.

Year: 2015

Location: ?

A group of middle schoolers rested inside a shrine. Lately there had been earthquakes and other types of natural disasters happening all over the world.

The middle schoolers were in the middle of a summer field trip when an earthquake struck the place. During this time, they had socialized amongst themselves to kill the time until they could all go home, as the field trip was cancelled.

One girl in particular had been in deep thought on how to partake in one group's conversation. To her dismay, she ended up scaring the group off with her rather mistaken demeanor of hostility as she stared too intensely at them. She was about to give up on trying to talk to anyone until her friend opted to help and sort out the misunderstand between her and the group.

She easily made friends with them and talked for a bit, before going outside to get some air and feeling the evening breeze.

She looked up at the night sky, which was decorated with numerous stars.

"So this is where you were, Wakaba-chan. It's getting late. Aren't you going to sleep?"

Wakaba looked back at her friend who had come outside as well, "Well, a problem could arise while we're sleeping for all we now. I thought I'd stay awake just in case."

"The teachers should be the ones to stay awake, though."

"I'm class president, so it's my duty," Wakaba's expression was serious.

"Really, Wakaba-chan. I don't know if you're just being way too serious or what," Her friend smiled in resignation at that and moved next to Wakaba, "I'll stay awake with you then."

Wakaba continued to look at her seriously, "Hinata, you don't have to stay with me, you know…"

"Of course I do, you're my best friend Wakaba-chan. So I'll always be with you," Hinata said matter-of-factly.

Wakaba sighed in resignation, "Well, I suppose it's fine then…thanks for today Hinata. If you hadn't stepped in, I'm sure I would've ended up distancing myself from my own classmates again."

"I just don't want people to misunderstand you, Wakaba-chan," Hinata put on a dignified expression, regarding the action as if it was something she was supposed to do.

"A reward for everything, that's the Nogi way of life…" Wakaba recited the words her cherished grandmother told her long ago, "I want to reward you for your friendship, Hinata. So if there's anything you want to do, just ask."

A mischievous smile was on Hinata's face when she heard those words, "Hmmm, how about you expand my collection of photos I have of you. How about a cosplay, or maybe a few outfits you could try on," Her eyes were sparkling now, "How about something a little extreme…fufufu."

Wakaba sighed, regretting the decision of saying those words to her. Clearly, the girl was going to take advantage of her offer, and now, she was going to pay the price for ever giving her that much freedom, "You're getting a bit too excited at this, Hinata…I'm not sure if I should be scared or not…"

"Well, I'll think about it later. For now, just open up to your classmates a little more, Wabaka-chan. If you do that, then I'm sure you'll get along with everyone here. I'll help you out if ever feel nervous about talking to someone," Hinata said reassuringly

It took a few moments for Wakaba to register those words. She'll admit, she has been rather detached from the rest of her class. It wasn't that she chose to; it was just she had a habit of coming across as standoffish. On top of not being the best at socializing, it was difficult for her to hit it off with anyone.

"Ah, but if you become too popular, you'll end up forgetting about me, Wakaba-chan," Hinata started sniffing, "You'll toss me out like I'm a thing of the past, boo-hoo…"

"W-w-what are you talking about?" Wakaba stammered. "Why would I ever do that!? You're my best friend, as if I would ever throw you away!"

Hinata grinned mischievously again, "Oh, it's a joke, Wakaba-chan.~"

Before Wakaba could make a retort, the ground started shaking again. This time, however, it felt much more powerful than usual. Wakaba tried her best to not fall over while Hinata gave out a small yelp before falling on her rear.

After a few moments, the tremors had settled. Wakaba looked next to her where Hinata sat, "Hinata, are you okay?"

No answer was given. Instead, the girl's face had turned very pale as she stared up at the sky.

"W-wakaba-chan…s-…s-something really scary is…" Hinata's body started to tremble.

Wakaba looked up at the night sky, unsure about what her friend was talking about.

Something about those stars was irregular. They were…vibrating?

They began to grow in size, and Wakaba wasn't sure what she was seeing but it looked like something was in sky. Was it a bird?

It was then the sound of a crash answered her. Wakaba quickly turned to where the noise was, seeing a white…thing with a huge mouth start eating away at the roof of the shrine. Two more had crashed in as they sped up the process of eating at the roof.

"What are these things!?" Wakaba was bewildered at the sight of these strange creatures. These things were nothing like anything on earth. They were too bizarre, too out of place to be anything natural. To call these things monsters was not too far off.

Wakaba glanced at Hinata, who was standing up now. There was a strange light in her eyes, and unfamiliar words began to flow from her mouth

"Hinata…?" Wakaba started to ask, before the screams of people running out of the shrine cut her off

"M-m-monsters!"

"A-aaaaaaa!"

Wakaba rushed into the shrine to investigate, before Hinata grabbed her by the hand.

"I'm going too." The light was gone from her eyes and she no longer had unusual words leaking from her mouth. Wakaba would have to ask her about it... Later though. There were people in trouble.

As soon as they rushed into the shrine, Wakaba had to hold back bile.

The white creatures were eating the people inside. Blood splattered everywhere, and there were unidentifiable chunks littered on parts of the floor.

Some of the half-eaten chunks were people Wakaba was very familiar with.

They were the bodies of her now dead classmates.

Anger rose within her, these were people she just talked not even an hour ago, and now they were no more than the meals of these bizarre creatures that had suddenly attacked the place.

"Rrruuaaaaaggghhhhhh!" Wakaba rushed forward. She grabbed a stick lying on the ground in a single fluid movement, and promptly swung at the monster.

The stick broke in half upon contact. The monster was unharmed.

The creature squirmed in response as it smacked its body against her, launching her into an altar within the shrine. The altar then broke apart upon making impact. Pain and shock wracked her body as she barely registered what happened.

She couldn't move her body.

She struggled to raise her head from the debris, and saw that the creatures were entirely focused on her now. Luckily, that was all that she needed to do as the people still inside had left already.

However, the children huddled in a single corner, paralyzed.

Wakaba wanted to say something. She wanted to tell them to run but the pain was too much for to say anything.

It was then she heard Hinata's voice.

"Wakaba, your right hand! Reach out your right hand and it should be there!"

"Wha…?" Was all she could muster before doing what Hinata had told her.

She felt her hand touch something within the destroyed altar. It felt odd, like the shape of a sword.

She grabbed the unknown item and pulled it out. Indeed, it was a sword, resting within a sheath. However, the weapon itself was rusted and looked like it wouldn't be of any better use than the piece of wood she had earlier.

Her vision blurred as she tried to withstand the new wave of pain washing over her. Her nerves were on fire, her body throbbed, and it was difficult to breath as she felt not only her body react weirdly but the sword in her hand as well.

And then the pain had died down only for something to swell up within the sword and into her. Once she had regained her senses, the sword she held was no longer rusted. The sheath itself was white with a maroon ribbon wrapped around the base where the sword was drawn.

Wakaba then looked at the three monsters before her and took a ready stance. She had practice in the art of Iaijutsu, a sword technique that she had learned since childhood. One of the monsters charged forward with the intent to chomp down on her.

Wakaba drew her sword, and in an instant, the monster was split in two.

She sheathed her sword again and waited for the other two to come forward. Within a few moments, the last two were sliced in half as well. The monsters inside the shrine were eradicated.

"Wakaba-chan!" Hinata screamed from outside the shrine, "There's more outside as well!"

She ran out of the shrine as fast as she could, and was greeted by a horde of the white monsters that were surrounding the place. They had blocked out any sort of exit for her and the others to run to.

Wakaba gripped her sword. There was no way she would falter here. A few more numbers is nothing she can't handle-

The monsters all suddenly stopped moving, before flying up into the air as they began to clump together.

"Wha…?" Wakaba was unsure what they're trying to do, but she felt it would not be good..

Eventually, the three clumps took form.

One had taken the form of a centipede.

One had taken the form like a body surface with an arrow.

And the last one changed into a form much like collection of spikes.

Wakaba wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew they had decided to even the odds with her. Upon realizing that she was a threat, they had decided to make new forms for themselves.

The one with the arrow shaped body took aim at some of the people in the area. It was just about to shoot its projectile before it was interrupted by a barrage of blue streaks of light.

Following that was the sound of a high hum in the air as several large glowing arrows were embedded into the other two evolved monsters. After a few seconds they exploded, taking off chunks of their bodies.

Wakaba and the others could only look on with confusion. Suddenly the monsters had the upper hand but apparently that fact was shot down, quite literally. More blue projectiles came in, specifically targeting the smaller white monsters that were trying to form and repair the evolved bodies.

It was Hinata who broke them out of the confusion, "Everyone! Follow me!" She gestured towards an opening the lead to the forest not too far from them, "I know a place where we'll be safe, those things are distracted right now!"

Wakaba nodded, and with everyone else they followed Hinata down the designated path. She looked back at the evolved monsters. The sky practically lit up as the monsters were being blown to bits by some unknown assailant, giving them a long enough opening to escape.

If Wakaba were to describe the scene, it'd be like looking at fireworks show, except a really apocalyptic one considering what just happened.

For the next few days, the journey to wherever Hinata was leading them was surprisingly a safe one. Despite the seemingly eternal night that had lasted for what felt like days, not once had they encountered any more of those monsters. It seemed there was no sign of whoever was attacking them would appear anytime soon either.

Wakaba was rather grateful for whoever stepped in, but she wished she could've thanked them personally.

o.o.o.

Tougou didn't know where she was when she was summoned here. When she had accepted the contract from Alaya, it had simply teleported her into the needed location of an unknown time to fight when the Vertex attacks first began. It was rather infuriating to see these countless Vertex. There were a lot more than the amount she saw outside the barrier but had made quick work of them regardless.

It wasn't even a few hours and she was already having to face these annoying things left and right wherever she went. Were the attacks this intense when the war first started?

It didn't matter now, she just had to eliminate them in order to save humanity.

However, a few questions have been lingering in her mind when she first came here.

Is this really the Christian Era?

Just where is she exactly? This didn't look anything like Shikoku.

And how did she even get her legs back?

Those were questions she had hoped to be answered, but knowing the job she signed up for, she might as well keep wondering until she was lucky enough to have enough freedom to do so.

For now though, she had a few annoying evolved Vertex to kill. And it seems like they surrounded a group of people next to a shrine as well.

She dematerialized her sniper rifle before summoning a long bow in her left hand. Notching several arrows onto the string, she took aim at the evolved arrow-shaped Vertex.

And let the string loose.

* * *

Happy bday to our local nationalist.

So hey fellas! This isn't actually my first rodeo on here. I actually had an account but had long forgotten what its login was so I just made a new one instead! I had this xover AU idea in my head for a while now and I spent a lot of time trying to develop it. Normally I would held off a bit until a got a few things ready but today was Tougou's birthday so why not upload it on this special day?

Until next time, cya


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